NotchUp? Not so much . . .
I just got an invitation to join NotchUp. Wary of the latest craze in data mining masked as social networking I did a quick Google search. TechCrunch had the best summary.
We’re basically looking at LinkedIn (they even import your LinkedIn profile) except that you can set a price at which you would be willing to interview with a prospective employer. The idea being, maybe you are happy where you are but you’d be happy to talk about being somewhere else, though your time is valuable. (Employers, of course, already know that recruiting is an expensive undertaking . . . it is not hard to see them pony up . . .)
Apparently this is from “Peerflix refugees” so I’d peg it as “an interesting innovation that rips off an existing proven idea that is probably ahead of their ability to execute.”
I accepted the invite, to check it out but mainly so I could invite a friend who is job hunting. I figured if Powerset and Yahoo giving it a go . . .
First Impressions:
- Very rough: when I declined to invite everyone I know on LinkedIn the site closed its own window.
- Lame: the “invite-only preview” site is protected by a shared HTTP authentication username and password . . . then you log in.
- Also Lame: you can’t view any of their web site (like “About Us”) without the HTTP authentication credentials. Amateurs!
- Steals your LinkedIn profile very nicely, but requires your password. Wonder how soon LinkedIn will block them.
- I don’t see why LinkedIn couldn’t just add the “set price to interview” as a feature within about two months.
- Feels very much like a LinkedIn rip-off.
- Snickering towards Doom: Their own “Jobs” page reads, in total: “VP of Business Development”
- Doomed: The site is very slow, even as a limited preview. Methinks their engineers aren’t so great.
Actually, now I feel dirty. I’m changing my LinkedIn password . . .
Responses
Russ
Okay, so I feel a bit dirty for some of the cut & paste below, but I have to say that I’m thankful for a review that doesn’t think this is the hottest damn thing on the planet. I’m pretty concerned about what they’re doing.
I’m floored by the number of people who love/hate the concept but don’t spend a moment of time reading–carefully–the Terms of Service.
Compare it to Googles TOS/Privacy Policy.
There’s a couple of points I think are getting over-looked:
1) You cannot see what your privacy settings might be until you register and agree to the TOS
2) They’re not responsible for what recruiters / third parties do with your resume or email address
3) If you cancel your account it’s “marked as deleted” in their database. Not deleted. Marked as such. Got it? Good.
4) If they sell your information, they’re not responsible for anything that happens to it downstream; the only way you can get off of those mailing lists, etc. is to contact whomever they sell to, and whomever they sell to, and so on and so forth. Plus, those people may all have “cached” versions of your information, so if they get a data snapshot of NU today, you cancel tomorrow and they get a new snapshot and sell it–guess what? Those companies will do a merge to remove duplicates–they’re not going to go out of their way and REMOVE you unless you know how to track them down.
There’s money in the list they’re generating.
5) Yep, it’s easy to use that LinkedIn slurp they’ve got set up for you. And, of course, all of your information that is respected and protected at LinkedIn… Well, different set of rules now.
Pay attention to the TOS and decide if giving up your information is really worth it.
http://www.userglue.com/blog/2008/01/27/notchup-privacy-down/
Russ
Grr…
Compare it to LinkedIn’s TOS/Privacy Policy.
Jacob Freis
Check out how they stole Grand Central’s website (www.grandcentral.com). I mean literally lifted the whole design! Any company that can steal your linkedin profile will stop at nothing to get stuff for free! I love the hanging Notchup dude. Now I know what they mean by Notch! haha
Rani
My company, Leapways.com, is also focusing on Job and career market. The main difference we have from others is that it is 100% free of charge for both employers and job seekers.
We will be soon launching an Interview Service which is aimed at the hiring managers across corporate America. The idea is to take some pressure out of the hiring manager (who’s real job is not hiring). We will take the ownership of the filtering the candidates. In other words, our representatives will take the interview and certify a candidate.
Also, a candidate can take an interview in a technology area and get certified in advance. Those candidates will be listed as “Certified” in their profile.
Our interviews are real world technical architects, working in IT field for fore than 10 years. That makes a huge difference. “We will help you hire the RIGHT candidate” - That is our motto.
Regards,
Rani
Vice President
LeapConcepts
Clark
I guess their fears of competition panned out to be true.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/04-11-2008/0004791206&EDATE=FRI+Apr+11+2008,+05:59+PM
Looks like this “Applicant Tree” has just as good a deal as NotchUp, and I won’t have to go through the hassle of a face-to-face interview to get my money. They’ll just pay you to have your resume looked at by companies. Much better.
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